“We wanted to have something that felt more personalized and had a human touch, even though it's AI.”
That’s what drew Phillip DeRenzo to Tavus. As Head of Marketing at iAsk, and a self-described avid AI user, he recognized the value of lifelike, responsive AI almost immediately.
iAsk, launched in early 2023, has quickly become a go-to platform for millions of people to ask AI questions and get accurate answers in seconds.
“When I first used iAsk, I was already using ChatGPT for everything,” Phillip recalls. “The problem is that ChatGPT has issues with accuracy and hallucinations, whereas iAsk shows its work, reasoning, and gives much better answers.”
Reliability is key for iAsk. Currently, they offer a multitude of superpowered tools, from content writers and summarizers to a powerful AI search engine that handles over 1.5 million queries a day. Phillip mentions that his team is constantly expanding iAsk capabilities, partnering with companies like Tavus to push the boundaries of what AI can do.
iAsk is for learners
75% of the iAsk user base is Gen Z and younger. With this in mind, iAsk users expect accuracy and clarity, especially when working on tasks like “homework, research papers, and studying.”
Reliability matters. That’s why iAsk ranks among the top performers on leading AI accuracy benchmarks, including GPQA, MMLU Pro, and others. “We care deeply about getting our users accurate information,” Phillip says.
This trust first mentality also applies to choosing technology partners. Phillip recalls how Tavus CVI stood out for its reliability and “wow” factor. With sub-one-second response times, the CVI experience felt steady, seamless, and surprisingly human: “At first I thought, ‘Wow, this is so cool—this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.’ And then I thought, ‘This could give students the same value as a tutor.’”
Powered by Tavus: On-demand AI video tutors
“Our AI Video Tutor [powered by Tavus CVI] is part of our Pro package, which is free for students,” says Phillip, “and we see it adding value and keeping students sticking around and learning for longer.”
In the past quarter alone, 22,000 students have interacted with iAsk’s AI Video Tutor. It serves as a customizable, AI-powered, context-aware AI human that users can meet with on-demand. Trained on any subject matter, it offers tailored help across a broad range of topics and use cases, anything from helping with test prep to giving personalized attention to help get students up to speed.
“Conversational Video AI is just incredible,” Phillip summarizes.
And implementation was easy. The entire process—from the moment they decided to implement Tavus, to the moment they had something spun up in testing—took place in the course of a day or two.
The future of AI
When asked what advice he would give to others exploring AI, Phillip smiles, and then pauses. “AI basically makes anything possible,” he offers.
He’s seen that potential firsthand with Tavus: “If a company has a chatbot, or anything like that on their website, CVI can instantly improve user experience by 100x. If a company has a software product, CVI can help with the onboarding experience. It’s just so much more natural on video than text.”
To Phillip, a more accessible, AI-powered future isn’t speculative fiction, it’s already here. “If anyone is interested in building anything, AI makes it easier now than ever. There are so many others, so many communities, so much support. It’s just a great time to dive in.”
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